On 3 July, as part of our celebration of the 60th anniversary of the NHS, HSJ will publish its list of the most influential people from the last six decades. We asked you to suggest who should be on it, and over the next few weeks we reveal some of the proposals.

Sir Muir Gray for championing innovation and the use of data and IT to revolutionise healthcare delivery and outcomes for patients.

Lord Rayner for producing the first full-scale cost reviews of activities across the NHS. The work was the embryo for much-maligned cost improvement programmes and efficiency savings targets introduced ever since.

Archibald McIndoe for developing a truly holistic approach to curing airmen burned in the Second World War.

Patricia Hewitt She oversaw the closure of community hospitals, causing dangerous levels of poor access to healthcare for rural communities.

Derek Wanless for drawing attention to the need to make explicit decisions on funding the health service and the role patients play in their own health.

Florence Nightingale Despite pre-dating the NHS, she made nursing a recognised profession.

Dame Yvonne Moores She worked tirelessly as a leader of the nursing and midwifery professions to ensure they were well placed in policy and practice developments. One example was her perseverance to ensure legislation on the establishment of trusts and primary care groups included the statutory requirement to have a nurse or midwife on the board.

Do you agree? Let us know at hsj.feedback@emap.com. The HSJ “Diamond 60” will be revealed in the NHS60 anniversary supplement with our 3 July issue.